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Alex Dowsett ruled out of 2014 Tour de France due to breathing problems Alex Dowsett ruled out of 2014 Tour de France due to breathing problems
(35 minutes later)
The potential number of British starters at the Yorkshire start of the Tour de France is set to be lower than the last time the race started in the UK after Alex Dowsett was left out of the Movistar team’s nine-man lineup on Monday morning. The Essex time trial specialist had expected to race until recently, but was hit by breathing problems, according to the team.The potential number of British starters at the Yorkshire start of the Tour de France is set to be lower than the last time the race started in the UK after Alex Dowsett was left out of the Movistar team’s nine-man lineup on Monday morning. The Essex time trial specialist had expected to race until recently, but was hit by breathing problems, according to the team.
“It’s so sad for us to leave Dowsett out of the team,” said the Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue in a press release. “Despite his efforts, he couldn’t get to his best form due to breathing problems resulting from an infection.” Dowsett had finished third in Thursday’s British time trial championship and had failed to complete Sunday’s road race title, pulling out with 42km remaining. As expected Movistar will be led by the veteran Alejandro Valverde.“It’s so sad for us to leave Dowsett out of the team,” said the Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue in a press release. “Despite his efforts, he couldn’t get to his best form due to breathing problems resulting from an infection.” Dowsett had finished third in Thursday’s British time trial championship and had failed to complete Sunday’s road race title, pulling out with 42km remaining. As expected Movistar will be led by the veteran Alejandro Valverde.
With Bradley Wiggins and Peter Kennaugh unable to make the cut for Team Sky, that left only three Britons confirmed for the Tour: Welshman Geraint Thomas and the Kenyan-born Tour winner Chris Froome at Sky and Mark Cavendish for Omega-Pharma. Garmin-Sharp had yet to announce their nine-man team, which was expected to include David Millar, although a tweet posted on Sunday night indicated that Millar himself felt it was not a done deal. With Bradley Wiggins and Peter Kennaugh unable to make the cut for Team Sky, that left only three Britons confirmed for the Tour: the Welshman Geraint Thomas and the Kenyan-born Tour winner Chris Froome at Sky and Mark Cavendish for Omega-Pharma. Garmin-Sharp had yet to announce their nine-man team, which was expected to include David Millar, although a tweet posted on Sunday night indicated that Millar himself felt it was not a done deal.
Another team which had yet to confirm its line-up for the Tour was the Australian Orica-GreenEdge squad, but it was not expected to include either of its British prospects; the twin brothers Simon and Adam Yates. The team having previously said that at 21-years-old, they were too young to be thrown into the Tour. Another team which had yet to confirm their line-up for the Tour was the Australian Orica-GreenEdge squad, but it was not expected to include either of its British prospects; the twin brothers Simon and Adam Yates. The team have previously said that at 21-years-old they are too young to be thrown into the Tour.
In 2007, when the Tour de France started in London, the field included five home entrants: Wiggins, Cavendish, Millar, Thomas and the Italian-based Charly Wegelius, who now works as a directeur sportif at Millar’s Garmin-Sharp squad. In 2007, when the Tour de France started in London, the field included five home entrants: Wiggins, Cavendish, Millar, Thomas and the Italian-based Charly Wegelius, who now works as a directeur sportif with Millar’s Garmin-Sharp squad.